WSC Birth Years: Ozzie Guillen

Card #8 - Ozzie Guillen

Born: January 20, 1964

Ozzie is the perfect fit for the White Sox. After years of complacency, Ozzie came in, shook things up and won a World Series within his first two seasons as a manager. Not too bad of a resume. Returning to the playoffs in 2008, Guillen has solidified his job in Chicago.

Despite the lightning rod of opinions about Ozzie, he does everything in his power to protect his players. He will take the heat off of players and put it on himself, if it will help the ball club. Ozzie will reward the players who show the effort on the field and the respect of the game. If player is not able to give their all during the game, they will shape up or ship out.

Ozzie may have mellowed a bit since he first started to manage, but the same fire is still there. The same desire to win is on display with every game. The real Ozzie is a wise cracking, fun loving guy, who keeps his players loose. Stronger still is the desire to see his players succeed.

Card Spotlight: 5-8-09

1941 Goudey #10 - Taft Wright

Most of the talk lately has been about the ugliness of the 2009 Goudey cards. Those cards aren't ugly, per say, they are just faithful to the originals. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. If the cards weren't faithful to the originals, the community would be complaining about that too.

It's about to get uglier. Case in point, 1941 Goudey. These are some of the ugliest cards ever produced. Yet, they are beautiful in their own way. The puke green color actually makes the card stand out. The black and white photo is more pleasing than the cartoonish players of the predecessors. It is clearly a superior card, which gets no credit because of its eye-gouging color scheme.

Call me crazy, but the orientation of the layout reminds me of the Red Man cards that would come out a decade later. Could 1941 Goudey be the inspiration for those gorgeous cards? The separation of the player name, team and position reminds me of that later set. Even the font looks suspiciously similar.

Taffy would interupt his baseball career shortly after this card was issued with a three year stint in the Air Force. He was regarded as being not much of an asset because he was saving himself for his return to the big leagues. He kept in baseball form by playing on the Army Air Force baseball team during some of his military service.

Despite the looks of these Goudey cards, I would be honored to have them in my collection.

In A World Full Of Cheaters

In a world of alcohol, cocaine,

performance enhancing drugs,

and steroids,


remember...


There is one man who never used PEDs.


Never succumbed to alcohol or cocaine when it was fashionable.


Never took steroids when they were all the rage.


There is one man who dared to do amazing accomplishments in silly uniforms.

That man is Harold Baines.

Elect a squeaky clean player to the Hall of Fame.

Vote Harold.

This message brought to you by the committee to elect Harold Baines to the baseball Hall of Fame.

Why I Blog

Is it so I can catch glimpses of Texas women trying out for the role of Bride of Frankenstein? No. That's just a side benefit.

The real reason is not too complicated, but it is a bit involved. I was reading my brand spanking new Entertainment Weekly, back in 2006. I ran across a little blurb about The Baseball Card Blog.

I thought to myself that the premise sounded like a cool idea. Like many cool ideas that I think of when I'm not by the computer, it fell by the wayside. I kept that issue around for awhile because of that little blurb. Sometime in early 2007, I ran across the blurb again, in the same magazine. Yes, I sometimes keep magazines around to re-read later.

This time, I wasn't far from the computer. I decided to check it out and spent a few hours looking at the previous posts. I'm not sure if it was the late hour or the absurdity of the humor, but I found myself laughing at almost every post that showed a hilariously unintentional card. Ben Henry's comments on each card were priceless. I went through each post in the archive craving more.

I started to remember things that I liked about collecting. I had been picking up cheap White Sox team sets on eBay. I was getting these team sets without really having a clue what short print cards were or if I was really getting a complete set. Still, I was happy getting new White Sox cards.

I started to wonder if anyone else had these blogs. I ran across the excellent Cardboard Junkie and the fantastic Stale Gum. I had found a kindred spirit in dayf, a team collector who shared the same type of twisted humor and pop culture appreciation. I marveled at the longevity of Chris' blog and the writing on it.

By October 2007, I had found a new site called Canseco Completist. It was a site dedicated to one specific thing, Jose Canseco and the quest to complete the Canseco card collection. Then, as if a light bulb turned on above my head, something clicked. I thought if there could be a site like this, then I could make one about my quest for White Sox cards.

I figured that I could scan in my cards one by one and, if nothing else, could provide a good online reference for my collection. I didn't expect anyone to read this thing and I was fine with that. This was for me.

I quickly became friends with Mario and I watched his site grow. In the beginning, we would use each other as a soundboard and a fact checker. Then, as our respective site grew, we each became confident enough to branch out on our own. Mario's site evolved into Wax Heaven and mine evolved into the blog you see now.

Along the journey, I've tried things that haven't worked out and I've tried things that have become staples of the blog. I've made many friends that I never would have known any other way. Every person that is in the blogroll or the links has helped shape this blog into what it is today. There are lessons learned and friendships forged through the experience of blogging and baseball cards.

Blogging is addictive. I never thought I'd have much to write about, but I have found something to write about nearly every day. Some of the regular features help shape that output. When I was cut off from the community for three weeks, while switching over ISPs, I was a complete basketcase. I couldn't catch up on what Patricia and Lucy were doing, how Jason's novel was going, what celebrity Johngy had encountered or what new interest Connor had developed.

I was missing Cliff's bonzai, Mike's awesomely bad wax, Greg's night cards, David's uniform quest, Kevin's Orioles cards, Gellman's astute rants, Travis' creations and the rest of the dozens of blogs that I haven't hinted at. I know there are still a few mailings from that period that I still have on the back burner. One involves a 1968 Topps card.

There are many reasons why I blog. One is the community aspect. I enjoy conversing with fellow bloggers and readers. I have been doing this long enough to be considered a mentor by some. I think that's awesome, by the way. Another reason would be to jog my memory. I have remembered so much information about the White Sox of my youth, that I have been overwhelmed occasionally.

The biggest reason, I think, is because I enjoy it. I truly enjoy blogging about my favorite team. I enjoy discovering cards that I had no clue about. I even enjoy the rare piece of hate mail. Everybody is entitled to their opinions and I welcome the different viewpoints. Sure, the readers of this blog tend to shape the way it goes, but ultimately, it's me.

I find myself branching out about pop culture and creating custom cards. These are things that I could not envision myself doing at the start of this blog. Through all the hard work that I put into this blog, I have enjoyed all of it. That's why I blog.

Well, that and to show off the unexpected finds. Here's another look at the Texas lady. What exactly happened in her life to make he look like that? It must be ultra traumatic. What other reason could there be. If you want to amuse yourself, me and others, leave a guess in the comments.

Goose Joak Originals: Carlos Quentin

See the entire in progress set here.

I'll Be Away From My Desk

On Thursday afternoon, I'll be off to Tracey's until Sunday afternoon. Her niece will be making her first communion on Saturday. This will be a long weekend away from my house, where most of my stuff is located.

Do you think this site will go dark? No! I have some posts planned that should satisfy readers of this blog for awhile. Included in those posts will be a Mother's Day mystery 100 years in the making. Unlike those mysteries on E!, this one will finally be solved!

I do have a favor/task to ask you loyal readers. If anyone has a decent color picture of Bobby Thigpen from 1986, when he was wearing the fan contest hat, I would love a scan. The only early career pictures of Thiggy that I can find has him wearing the cursive "C" hat. I'm looking for a photo that wasn't used on one of his 1987 cards.

I'm also looking for a decent color photo of Doug Rader, the third base coach from 1986, in the mid eighties fan contest uniform. If anyone can help me out, I would greatly appreciate it. I haven't been able to find either picture in my internet scrounging.

I won't be as readily available this weekend, but I will be checking e-mail periodically. I'll be checking out the other blogs too, when I have the time.

WSC Birth Years: Jim Thome

Card #7 - Jim Thome

Born: August 27, 1970

Jim's career is winding down, but he isn't going to walk away quietly. Although he is the oldest member of the White Sox 25 man roster currently, Thome remains one of the most dangerous. His knowledge and experience make him the perfect candidate to have at the plate in a key situation.

Even when the opposing team applies the "Shift", Thome can find a way to overcome that obstacle. When Jim is healthy, he is the deadliest weapon the White Sox have at the plate. According to Thome, he still has a few good productive years left in him. That should be enough to put the fright into some opposing pitchers and to take a shot at the 600 home run club. As of this writing, he is only 55 home runs away from that exclusive mark.

Wolverine

With the White Sox losing a heartbreaking extra inning affair, I feel like a distraction. Let's go to the movies!

Anyone who knows me well enough, knows that I am a huge movie buff. I have a custom shelf in my living room that takes up almost the entire wall. It is filled with movies. I like all genres. I will watch anything twice.

I have a confession to make. I have absolutely zero interest in seeing the Wolverine movie. None whatsoever. I like Hugh Jackman. I think he makes a wonderful Wolverine. I like Wolverine. I have ever since I was a kid.

Truthfully, I like the idea of X-Men better than the reality of X-Men. I always thought that they were the coolest looking mutants, but I could never get hooked into the stories for whatever reason. That didn't stop me from collecting the comics as a kid.

Wolverine was my favorite X-Men. Still is, as a matter of fact. I just don't read, watch or collect him. I have my memories from my youth. That's enough to satisfy me. The only comic that I enjoyed was the one-off comic of Wolverine Vs. Spider-Man. It was enough to keep my faith in the coolness of the Wolverine character, but not enough to make me return down that path.

I may watch this movie when it hits cable, but I have no intention in paying extra money to see the movie. I loathe movies that have style, but no substance. This seems to be one of those movies. I'm not alone in thinking that. Famed film critic Roger Ebert is not a huge fan of the movie either. It mostly has to do with the historical inaccuracies. That would drive me batty too.

Some of my favorite excerpts from Ebert's review.

He is about 175 years old, he apparently stopped changing when he reached Hugh Jackman's age, and neither he, nor we, find out how he developed such an interesting mutation.

Wouldn't that be the whole point of an origin movie?

Their story starts in "1840 -- the Northwest Territories of Canada," a neat trick, since Canada was formed in 1867, and its Northwest Territories in 1870. But you didn't come here for a history lesson. Or maybe you did, if you need to know that Logan and Victor became Americans (still before they could be Canadians) and fought side by side in the Civil War, World War I, World War II and Vietnam. Why they did this, I have no idea. Maybe they just enjoyed themselves.

A blatant historical inaccuracy, like the Northwest Territories in Canada in 1840 snafu would ruin everything that came after it for me. I have Canadian relatives. I don't like them being dissed like that.

At least, you hope, he has an interesting vulnerability? I'm sure X-Men scholars can tell you what it is, although since he has the gift of instant healing, it's hard to pinpoint. When a man can leap from an exploding truck, cling to an attacking helicopter, slice the rotor blades, ride it to the ground, leap free and walk away (in that ancient cliche where there's a fiery explosion behind him but he doesn't seem to notice it), here's what I think: Why should I care about this guy? He feels no pain and nothing can kill him, so therefore he's essentially a story device for action sequences.

This is the problem I have with most "action" movies. The script starts with amazing action scenes and the dialogue is written specifically to get to the next action sequence. I have nothing against action sequences or popcorn movies, but this movie appears to try to please everyone, while pleasing almost no one.

But wait! -- you say. Doesn't "X-Men Origins" at least provide a learning experience for Logan about the origins of Wolverine? Hollow laugh. Because we know that the modern Wolverine has a form of amnesia, it cannot be a spoiler for me to reveal that at the end of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," he forgets everything that has happened in the film.

So... essentially what Ebert is telling me here is that there is absolutely no reason for this film to exist. A gigantic middle finger has been lifted high and proud to the audience. The next Wolverine movie will not need any connection to this one because the main character doesn't need to know anything that happened in this movie. In the immortal words of the Church Lady, "How convenient".

Instead of wasting my time and money at this movie, I will pop in the cult eighties classic, Red Dawn, and watch some Wolverines that can provide a little depth and emotional attachment, no matter how Brat Packy it gets.

Mailbox Joys: Soxes Draped In Red

There are deals on eBay, if you are willing to do some research. I was looking for some cheap parallels to 2008 Baseball Heroes. Specifically, I was looking for a good deal on anything Fisk or anything White Sox.

Since I only picked up Baseball Heroes in retail stores, I missed out on some hobby parallel exclusives, from what I understand. In reality, I've pretty much have only seen the base set and the charcoal parallel in the packs that I've run across.

I'm very careful with my limited funds these days, but I needed a pick me up, so I scoured eBay for recession relief. I was able to find a 5 card lot of red parallels for 99 cents. Nobody else bid on it, so I was lucky. The cards arrived yesterday and I couldn't be happier with my purchase.

Not only did the lot come with a Carlton Fisk, but it also came with a Jermaine Dye and three other cards that will eventually go to unsuspecting blogging friends. You see the other reason that I was happy to pick these up was for the cards that I didn't collect. Two of the other three cards are earmarked for certain blogging friends. One day, these cards will just show up on their doorsteps.

In one fell swoop, I was able to pick myself up and possibly brighten the day of a friend or two down the line. That, my friends, is eBay buying at its best!

R.I.P. Dom DeLuise

Baines In The Field

Outfielder Harold Baines robbed a hitter during this 1982 game with the Yankees.

After what seems like a lifetime of searching, I finally found proof that Harold Baines was a force to be reckoned with in the outfield. Proof positive that Harold once roamed the outfield with cat-like reflexes, making amazing plays.

If only the card companies would have had the foresight to preserve an action shot of Harold in the outfield, maybe he would be getting more votes towards the Hall of Fame. Maybe there would be a better argument for his inclusion.

Instead, Topps, Donruss, Fleer and many other card manufacturers of the eighties decided to show Harold with a bat in his hand. Regardless if it was in the batting cage, the on deck circle, the batters box, or a casual photo op, he almost always had a bat in his hand. If a card didn't show his bat, it focused on a bust shot pose. This kind of treatment led to Harold being regarded as a statue.

Look at the majesty of an airborne Baines, leaping after a ball, eventually taking away a hit from some surprised Yankee batter. It is a thing of beauty. One that I was beginning to think only existed in my own mind. I knew my memories hadn't failed me. It had been over twenty years, but I can remember Harold's spectacular plays in the outfield, as well as his clutch hits and massive home runs.

My only regret is that the photo is in black and white. I can forget that minor detail and bask in the glow of a memory confirmed!

Goose Joak Originals: Scott Podsednik

Check out the full set here.

Stumbling Upon The Windy City Series

While looking for something completely unrelated, I stumbled upon pictures from the 1906 World Series between the Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Cubs. I also ran across a picture from during the regular season of the White Sox at South Side Park. Enjoy!

September 23, 1906. The New York Highlanders are at bat (in the dark uniforms) and the Chicago White Sox are in the field (in the light uniforms).

During Game 1 of the 1906 World Series, at the Cubs' West Side Grounds, Frank Chance slides safely into first as the White Sox first baseman, Jiggs Donahue, tries to apply the tag. October 9, 1906.


After Game 1, the crowd surrounds Nick Altrock, the winning pitcher (who threw a complete game four hitter), on the Cubs' field, while police protect him. It was customary, in those days, for the crowd to walk across the field while exiting after the game.


Frank Isbell of the Chicago White Sox, sliding into first on a pickoff attempt at South Side Park. The Chicago Cubs' first baseman Frank Chance tries to apply the tag.

After the box office was shut down, these fans were without tickets to the sixth and final game of the 1906 World Series on October 14, 1906, outside of South Side Park.

So Elite, It's Nonexistent

If Donruss came out with this card in the 1991 Donruss Elite series, I would have definitely bought more Donruss back in the day! At the very least, I'd be tracking it down as we speak. Alas, it is a fine example of a Goose Joak Tribute.

Nice job!

Card Spotlight: 5-1-09

2006 Finest #52 - Scott Podsednik

Although it won't be official until later today, 2005 World Series hero Scott Podsednik will be in the lineup tonight in Arlington, Texas. Will this be a return of the speedy Podsednik that defied odds by scratching, clawing, stealing and finding a way to get on base and advance, thereby setting up the potent offense with multiple RBI opportunities that a modern day Murderer's Row deserves? Or will the White Sox be getting the oft injured, seasons of wither, downtrodden Pods?

Scott assures that he is 100% healthy. If that's the case, this may be the shot in the arm that he needs to resurrect his slumping career and this may be the kick in the pants that the Sox need to get over the hump. Regardless of what happens, it should be interesting to see what Podsednik brings to the table this time around.

2006 held great hope for the White Sox and Podsednik. The Sox shed weight in the offseason and added great tools to the lineup. Things often look better on paper than they do in real life. One of the things in 2006 that looked better on paper was Topps Finest.

It was a decent release, but a bit misguided with solid colors and a simplistic design. Still, some cards really pop because of that. The players seem to jump off of the card. Podsednik looks like he's running from some Jason Voorhees mass slaughter on a baseball field. Maybe he was the oldest "kid" at that rave in the cornfield in Jason Vs. Freddy. Whatever the case, the baseball diamond seems to have run red.

I hope that Scott runs as well as he did on this card. It should add some speed to the lineup and add a true leadoff hitter. Welcome back Scotty Pods!